Cosmea is familiar to almost everyone. The sight of its bright colors immediately reminds of summer. The plant arrived in Russia from Mexico, where, by the way, it is incredibly popular today. Note that the plant gets along well not only in a warm climate, but also in the northern regions of our country.
In general, cosmea is a simple and very
beautiful plant, which is found quite often in our gardens. The genus includes more than two dozen species of both annual and perennial cold-resistant plants. The characteristic thin peduncles, sophisticated filiform leaves and beautiful inflorescences in the shape of a basket are the main features of cosmea. The plant blooms in summer and autumn. Let us consider in more detail what constitutes a long-term cosmea.
Growing
This process cannot be called too complicated, but it has its own nuances. Long-term cosmea is often grown on lawns and flower beds. It is rarely used as cut flowers, but such cases do occur. Also undersized varieties are grown on potted balconies. This plant is resistant to cold, photophilous. Cosmea is considered unpretentious. She landed right in the open ground in the springtime. Annual species are grown in pots using a land mixture with the addition of sand and peat. The mixture is fertilized with minerals. If everything is done correctly, very soon fresh beautiful cosmea will please you.
Landing and care
What is necessary in order for you to enjoy a magnificent cosmea with your flowering in the summer ? Planting and care (photo of the plant in the article) will bring the gardener only positive emotions if you follow certain rules for planting and propagating the plant. It is better to plant it in the open sun in mild climates. In hot summers, however, it is better to plant a kosmey at partial shade. It does not tolerate low temperature unless it is created for this condition (the earth must be mulled). In summer, the long-term cosmea needs regular and plentiful watering.
In general, plant care comes down to regular watering and loosening of the soil once a month. If you do not forget to water and weed the cosmea, the result of the labors will be a lush and strong plant, which will shade the flowerbed and make the general view of the garden incredibly beautiful. If the soil contains a sufficient amount of fertilizer initially, it may not be fertilized again. In cases where there is little fertilizer, you need to add an additional portion at the beginning of flowering (the appearance of buds).
Buds that have faded are pruned. This stimulates the appearance of new inflorescences and gives the cosmos a well-groomed appearance.
Breeding
The plant propagates by seeds, which can maintain germination for several years. It often happens that cosmea shoots are thickened. In this case, it is better to thin them. The beginning of flowering is in July, the end is during the period of the first frosts. In autumn, the stems are cut close to the surface of the soil. If you leave large faded buds, you can get seeds.
One of the main advantages of the plant is its resistance to pests. Sometimes a long-term cosmea is affected by aphids. It may also be affected by heavy rains. If the rains are moderate, and the gardener takes care of her correctly, he will be pleased with a beautiful cosmea. Varieties (photos are three different) are very diverse. Each of them has its own characteristics, which should be familiarized with individually.